Compressive lesions in the central nervous system of cattle: a retrospective study of 50 cases in the Amazon biome

Barbosa, José D.; Brito, Marilene F.; Duarte, Marcos D.; Albernaz, Tatiane T.; Bomjardim, Henrique A.; Barbosa, Camila C.; Oliveira, Carlos Magno C.; Salvarani, Felipe M.

doi:10.1590/1678-5150-PVB-7057

ABSTRACT:

The present study gathered epidemiological and clinical-pathological information about cattle with compressive lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). The retrospective study included observations made in 50 cattle from 1998 to 2021 by reviewing the clinical records of animals with compressive lesions in the CNS treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Veterinary Medicine Institute of the Federal University of Pará. The animals had clinical signs and were subjected to general and specific clinical examination of the nervous system. Blood samples were collected from 13 animals for complete blood counts, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from four animals for physical evaluation. Twenty-nine cattle underwent necropsy. The most affected sites were the T₃-L₃ (46%, 23/50), C₁-C₅ (22%, 11/50), C₆-T₂ (14%, 7/50), sacrococcygeal vertebrae, (4%, 2/50), L₄-S₂ (2%, 1/50), brain (8%, 4/50) and cerebellum (4%, 2/50). The age of the affected cattle ranged from 20 days to 16 years, with a higher occurrence in animals younger than 12 months (56%, 28/50). More Females were affected (58%, 29/50) than males (42%, 21/50). The clinical signs varied according to the location of the lesion and were mainly represented by ataxia, paresis or paralysis of the limbs, inability to stand and walk, postural changes, hyperesthesia in the extremities, and loss of skin sensitivity at the location of the lesion. The necropsy findings revealed changes such as abscesses in the vertebral body; intervertebral space in the medullary canal, pituitary and cerebellum; granuloma in the arch of the vertebra; fractures of the body of the vertebrae; subarachnoid haematoma; congenital bone alteration causing spinal cord compression; and spondylitis. Detailed anamnesis and clinical examination of the CNS, associated with necropsy findings, were important to determine the cause of the disease, correlate with the clinical picture and locate the affected segments of the CNS in the cattle. It is important to include these diseases in the list of differential diagnoses in cattle with nervous symptoms.

INDEX TERMS:
Central nervous system; bovine; cattle; compressive lesions; neurological clinical signs

[TFN1] CNS = central nervous system.

Animals	Municipalities	Gender	Age	Breeds	Location of the lesion in the CNS	Cause of CNS compression on clinical examination and necropsy
1	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 years	Nellore	Brainstem	Para-pituitary abscess - inflammation at the base of the horn
2	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	5 years	Crossbred	Brainstem	Para-pituitary abscess -periodontitis
3	Castanhal/PA	Female	20 days	Gir	Brain	Haematoma in the brain
4	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 months	Crossbred	Brain	Haematoma in the brain
5	Novo Repartimento/PA	Female	3 years	Nellore	Cerebellum	Abscess in the cerebellum - internal otitis
6	Castanhal/PA	Male	7 months	Nellore	Cerebellum	Abscess in the cerebellum - omphalitis
7	Amajarí/RR	Female	6 months	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Lacerative attack lesion by wild feline
8	Castanhal/PA	Female	6 months	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Abscess in the vertebra body
9	Castanhal/PA	Male	8 years	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Fracture of the vertebra
10	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	1.5 years	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Spinal cord trauma during management
11	Castanhal/PA	Male	1 month	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
12	Castanhal-PA	Male	2 years	Crossbred	C₁-C₅	Congenital stenosis of the spinal canal
13	Santa Maria/PA	Female	6 months	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Spinal cord trauma during management
14	Castanhal/PA	Female	6 months	Crossbred	C₁-C₅	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalouraquitis
15	Abel Figueiredo/PA	Female	5 months	Crossbred	C₁-C₅	Abscess of the vertebra body
16	Açailândia/MA	Male	2 months	Crossbred	C₁-C₅	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
17	Castanhal/PA	Female	2 months	Nellore	C₁-C₅	Abscess in the medullary canal
18	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 months	Nellore	C₆-T₂	Abscess in the vertebra body - omphaloarteritis
19	Castanhal-PA	Female	2 months	Crossbred	C₆-T₂	Abscess in the vertebra body
20	Novo Repartimento/PA	Female	10 years	Nellore	C₆-T₂	Haematoma
21	Santa Luzia do Pará/PA	Female	6 years	Nellore	C₆-T₂	Spinal cord trauma
22	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 months	Nellore	C₆-T₂	Abscess in the medullary canal
23	Castanhal/PA	Female	3 months	Nellore	C₆-T₂	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
24	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	2 months	Crossbred	C₆-T₂	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
25	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 years	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Ankylosing spondylitis
26	Abel Figueiredo/PA	Male	2 months	Jersey	T₃-L₃	Medullary syndrome - posterior paresis - omphaloarteritis
27	Castanhal/PA	Male	6 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
28	Eldorado dos Carajás/PA	Male	2 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the vertebra disc - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
29	Eldorado dos Carajás/PA	Female	2 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the vertebra disc - omphaloarteritis
30	Eldorado dos Carajás/PA	Male	2 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the vertebra disc - omphaloarteritis
31	Rondon do Pará/PA	Male	2 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Medullary syndrome - posterior paresis - omphalophlebitis
32	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	10 years	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
33	Abel Figueiredo/PA	Female	6 years	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Trauma in the medulla during the mating
34	Castanhal/PA	Female	6 years	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
35	Capanema/PA	Female	6 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the vertebra body - omphaloarteritis
36	Castanhal/PA	Male	6 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the vertebra body
37	Castanhal/PA	Female	3 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Abscess in the body of the vertebra - omphalophlebitis, liver abscesses
38	Castanhal/PA	Male	2 years	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Trauma in the spinal cord during transport
39	Castanhal/PA	Female	6 years	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
40	São Francisco do Pará/PA	Male	8 months	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
41	Castanhal/PA	Male	2 years	Simmental	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
42	Castanhal/PA	Female	16 years	Guzerá	T₃-L₃	Ankylosing spondylitis
43	Castanhal/PA	Male	1.5 years	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
44	Castanhal/PA	Male	12 months	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
45	Xinguara/PA	Female	2 years	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
46	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	8 months	Nellore	T₃-L₃	Spinal cord trauma during management
47	Castanhal/PA	Female	6 years	Crossbred	T₃-L₃	Granuloma in the vertebral body
48	Abel Figueiredo/PA	Female	2 years	Nellore	L₄-S₂	Spinal cord trauma during management
49	Castanhal/PA	Female	7 years	Crossbred	Sacrococcygeal	Spinal cord trauma during management
50	Rondon do Pará/PA	Female	4 years	Crossbred	Sacrococcygeal	Spinal cord trauma during management

Location of the lesion in the CNS	Number of animals	Percentage
Brain	2	4%
Brainstem	2	4%
Cerebellum	2	4%
Spinal cord (C1-C5)	11	22%
Spinal cord (C6-T2)	7	14%
Spinal cord (T3-L3)	23	46%
Spinal cord (L4-S2)	1	2%
Spinal cord (after S2)	2	4%
TOTAL	50	100%

Compressive lesions in the central nervous system of cattle: a retrospective study of 50 cases in the Amazon biome

Lesões compressivas no sistema nervoso central de bovinos: um estudo retrospectivo de 50 casos no bioma amazônico

ABSTRACT: